Re: Bilateral Implantees Please Help Me

[Guest guest]

Amen:

If you don't hear with your actual CI I don't think your hearing

will improve with another CI. Some drawbacks might arrive instead.

C J <cjcj05@...> wrote:

Good Friday all,

I have an appointment with my doctor next week to

begin my quest to go bilateral and I would like some

help from bilateral implantees.

Can you tell me what differences you experienced by

going bilateral (ie. better speech understanding in

loud places, better music appreciation, etc.)?

Can you tell me any concerns you or our doctor had

about you going bilateral?

Is there anything about being bilateral that you don't

like?

If you have any other compelling info that you would

like to share I would appreciate it. My doctor has

not done an adult bilateral and so I am some what of a

pioneer and need all the help I can get.

Thanks!!!

Connie

" The Miracle at Ohio State "

aka Nucleus Freedom

Implanted 10/04/2005

Activated 11/1/2005

Surgery: Ohio State University

Surgeon: Dr. Bradley Welling

http://internalmedicine.osu.edu/article.cfm?ID=2021

---------------------------------

Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates

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[Guest guest]

,

This isn't always true. For example, in my case, my speech understanding

improved dramatically with the addition of a second CI. Also, in comparing

my speech understanding between my N24CA and my Freedom when used alone, the

Freedom wins hands down.

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G

Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom

Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06

[Guest guest]

,

What do you mean by this?

" If you don't hear with your actual CI I don't think your hearing will

improve with another CI. Some drawbacks might arrive instead. "

There is a reason why humans have bilateral hearing. And that is why

more and more people are seeking bilateral cochlear implants.

*---* *---* *---* *---* *---*

Stupidity is NOT a handicap. Park elsewhere!

& Dreamer Doll (Guide Dawggie)

Newport, Oregon

N24C 3G 8/2000 Hookup

rclark0276@...

http://webpages.charter.net/dog_guide/

[Guest guest]

Connie,

Since becoming bilateral, I've noticed a significant difference in my

ability to understand speech not only in quiet, but noise as well. I'm also

able to tell the direction of sound without having to turn my head. The

latter is a safety issue and one of the primary reasons I sought a second

implant. (My surgeon recommended bilaterals at my 9 month post op

appointment and we both agreed that personal safety was a number one

consideration in going bilateral) Music appreciation has also improved

greatly with a more natural sounding quality. (There's nothing like hearing

your favorite music in stereo! <smile>) The same is true for speech. With my

first CI, I heard an overlapping " echo " voice, but once my second CI was

activated, the echo voice completely disappeared. I'm now able to hear

speech and it sounds just as natural as it did when I wore hearing aids.

If you have any other questions about my experiences, please do not hesitate

to contact me by private e-mail. In the meantime, I wish you all the best in

your quest to go bilateral! <smile>

Left ear - Nucleus 24 Contour Advance with 3G

Implanted: 12/22/04 Activated: 1/18/05

Right ear - Nucleus Freedom

Implanted: 2/1/06 Activated: 3/1/06

[Guest guest]

Connie,

I can only tell you what my 10yr old says and experiences with

bilateral CIs.

She got 2 AB HR90Ks last december, (she had a single device for 7yrs

prior) and yesterday we got her word recognition test scores given

by the school district at the beginning of this school year.

She scored 98% bilaterally.

The Therapist said she'd never had a 'hearing impaired' child score

so high, let alone a pre-lingually deafened child.

They are now testing her ears individually, in part so they can

continue to qualify her for services. It's a good problem to have I

guess.

From the day of activation with two devices (Jan 17) she loved

bilateral hearing. She was only 9 at the time, and had never known

anything but CI hearing, and she loved hearing with two ears.

Even today, when I ask her which ear hears better, she will only

respond by saying " BOTH! " I believe it's her way of making sure she

doesn't get asked to wear just one, even for a while.

She really resisted the idea of practicing with just one bte, she

liked bilateral hearing that much.

She also was able to move into a fully mainstream class this fall

without an interpreter. She had been in a TC program since age 3.

All she uses now is a personal sound field speaker which sits in

front of her desk, but she doesn't use it in PE or Computer class or

even Chapel, and she has been able to follow it all, getting As and

A+'s on all her work. Her academics weren't nearly that good even

with the help of sign language in her TC class room.

I should note that she is using a trial strategy developed by our

surgeon (different from both HiRes and the new Fidelity 120 just

announced by Boston Scientific), but we aren't yet sure how much

success is due to the strategy and how much due to the bilateral

implants.

The results of her individual ear tests, next week, might give us

some indication, but formal testing of it should happen in Nov.

Of course, when the Fidelity 120 strategy is available we'll also be

able to compare them and know even more.

Based on Addy's enormous success and intense like for bilateral

hearing, I would tell anyone to not wait another day. The insurance

issues alone can take months to sort out, so the sooner you get

started, the better.

To answer your question, there is nothing Addy doesn't like about

being bilateral - except her devices were not placed with perfect

symmetry. That's something to talk to the Doc about before going

under anesthesia. If he hasn't done bilateral before, it might not

occur to him to be extra careful about placement of the new device

to match the headpiece location of the old.

Hair can cover it, of course, but better to talk about it ahead of

time.

Godspeed with your pursuit!!

Steve

>

> Good Friday all,

>

> I have an appointment with my doctor next week to

> begin my quest to go bilateral and I would like some

> help from bilateral implantees.

>

> Can you tell me what differences you experienced by

> going bilateral (ie. better speech understanding in

> loud places, better music appreciation, etc.)?

>

> Can you tell me any concerns you or our doctor had

> about you going bilateral?

>

> Is there anything about being bilateral that you don't

> like?

>

> If you have any other compelling info that you would

> like to share I would appreciate it. My doctor has

> not done an adult bilateral and so I am some what of a

> pioneer and need all the help I can get.

>

> Thanks!!!

>

> Connie

>

>

>

> " The Miracle at Ohio State "

> aka Nucleus Freedom

> Implanted 10/04/2005

> Activated 11/1/2005

> Surgery: Ohio State University

> Surgeon: Dr. Bradley Welling

> http://internalmedicine.osu.edu/article.cfm?ID=2021

>

[Guest guest]

I am very inpressed with your 9 yr olds success. Keep up the good work. I

only have one implant the other ear has never been stimulated and the doctors

do not want to chance it.

a from L.A.

[Guest guest]

Connie, I can tell you that being bilateral is the greatest thing and I

couldn't go back to using just one implant!!! I am able to localize sounds

so much easier with two; like if I stand in front of a bank of elevators, I

can usually tell which elevator door is going to open. Also I can tell from

which direction a siren is coming and this is so important in driving and

walking....one of the " side " benifits is that when one implant's batteries

go, you don't have to drop what you're doing to change the batteries 'cause

you can still hear. Also, when talking on the phone (I don't have to use

the telecoil most of the time), I just talk on one side and leave the other

side as it was......since I've heard before, it is very much like talking on

the phone when I had all my hearing!!!

I was also my surgeon's first bilateral (four years ago now) and I'm

thrilled that I was able to be able to use both my ears LOL!!!

Hope this helps.

Lois

progressive hearing loss-14 yrs.

right-N24C-9/17/02

left-N24C-8/23/03

[Guest guest]

Hi Connie,

I heard very well with my N24C and the 3G processor. However, I decided to go

bilateral because there were certain circumstances that I felt could be improved

upon. With 2 processors you not only hear more but I also find there is a

fullness to the sounds that I didn't even realize was missing because everything

did sound very natural.

With my one processor in my left ear, it was more difficult to hear on my right

side so if there was a conversation going on at a table, I found myself

constantly turning my head to get it all.

Same thing when walking in a parking lot..... trying to figure out whether it

was safer to walk closer to the cars on the right or on the left. Either way to

me felt unsafe. When you hear out of both sides, you don't have this dilemma.

It is much safer and I hope you are able to also become bilateral.

Happy Hearing!

Carol

Boca Raton, FL

N24C 3G left ear -12/11/01

N Freedom- right ear- implanted 3/01/06 activated 4/6/06

C J <cjcj05@...> wrote:

Good Friday all,

I have an appointment with my doctor next week to

begin my quest to go bilateral and I would like some

help from bilateral implantees.

Can you tell me what differences you experienced by

going bilateral (ie. better speech understanding in

loud places, better music appreciation, etc.)?

Can you tell me any concerns you or our doctor had

about you going bilateral?

Is there anything about being bilateral that you don't

like?

If you have any other compelling info that you would

like to share I would appreciate it. My doctor has

not done an adult bilateral and so I am some what of a

pioneer and need all the help I can get.

Thanks!!!

Connie

" The Miracle at Ohio State "

aka Nucleus Freedom

Implanted 10/04/2005

Activated 11/1/2005

Surgery: Ohio State University

Surgeon: Dr. Bradley Welling

http://internalmedicine.osu.edu/article.cfm?ID=2021

---------------------------------

Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates

starting at 1¢/min.

[Guest guest]

Hi, Connie,

Going bilateral " Rocks " ! LOL

At first the difference is quite subtle. Once you adjust to the new

thing at your ear you begin to realize what a difference it makes over one for

many of us. (This is not to say that some don't do very well with just one CI).

For me, I can't wear just one anymore. That second CI seems to make sound

and voice distinction more natural. It also lessens the strain, in that you

don't have to listen quite as hard. I wish you good luck in your quest.

) Jackie

Implanted - right ear - Oct.2002 - Nucleus 24/3G

Reimplanted - right ear - Jan.2005 - Nucleus 24C/3G

Implanted - left ear - Sept.2005 - Nucleus-Freedom